"i.il^.lO, 


PRINCETON,  N.  J.  ^fff. 


Presented    by  (^  .  (5N  .  C/(:AvYAcSr-c:D\^  ■~T'\-^  ro, 


Division 
Section  ■ 


1 


m 


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V 

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SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 


LECTURE    III. 


Delivered  on  the  Evening  of  the  25th  December,  1831,  by  the 
Rev.  Samuel  B.  Howe,  D.  D.  of  Carlisle. 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE. 


"  Strive  to  enter  in  at  tiie  strait  gate." — Luke  xiii.  24. 

The  importance  of  genuine  piety,  and  the  difficulty  of 
its  attainment  and  cultivation,  are  frequently  pressed  on  our 
attention  in  the  sacred  pages. — The  salvation  of  our  souls  de- 
pends on  our  possessing  it,  and  yet,  in  our  efforts  to  obtain 
it,  innumerable  foes  oppose  us,  and  innumerable  obstacles 
must  be  surmounted.  To  encourage  us,  however,  to  meet 
every  foe,  and  to  bear  every  evil  with  unshrinking  con- 
stancy, we  are  addressed  with  most  urgent  exhortations  and 
alluring  promises;  assistance  from  on  high  is  offered  us  in 
the  conflict,  and  to  him  who  overcometh  it  <^  shall  be  given 
to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  para- 
disc  of  God." 

In  the  passage  before  us,  and  in  a  similar  passage  in  the 

gospel  of  Matthew,  the  design  of  our  Lord  is  to  show  the 

necessity  of  directing  our  attention  to  secure  the  salvation 

of  our  souls,  from  a  consideration  of  the  difficulties  which  we 

10 


70  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

must  encounter  in  so  doing,  and  from  the  ease  with  which 
we  may  mistake  and  perish.  He  represents  us  as  travel- 
lers, journeying  to  unchanging  abodes  of  bliss  or  wo,  and 
assures  us  that  our  final  destiny  will  depend  on  our  present 
conduct.  "Wide  is  the  gate,  and  broad  is  the  way  that 
leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many  there  be  who  go  in  there- 
at."— While  "strait  is  the  gate,  and  narrow  is  the  way 
which  leadeth  unto  life,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it." 
It  becomes  us,  therefore,  carefully  to  seek  to  enter  in, 
since,  if  we  mistake  and  fail,  the  consequences  will  be 
tremendously  fearful.  The  exposition  of  the  passage  is 
easy.  A  gate  usually  stands  at  the  head  of  a  way,  and 
through  it  we  are  admitted  into  the  way, — the  term  way, 
when  applied  to  the  actions  and  condition  of  men,  means 
their  habitual  temper  and  conduct;  and  the  narrow  way,  of 
which  our  Lord  speaks,  means  that  temper  and  conduct 
which  are  necessary  for  our  admittance  into  heaven.  We 
enter  on  this  way  only  by  a  thorough  conversion  from  sin 
to  holiness,  evidenced  by  unfeigned  repentance  and  faith  j 
and,  until  we  have  experienced  this  conversion,  we  have  not 
taken  one  step  in  the  pathway  to  bliss.  This  gate  is  called 
strait,  because  of  the  anguish  of  mind  which  usually  ac- 
companies the  commencement  of  a  religious  life.  Into 
this  gate  our  Lord  commands  us  to  strive  to  enter.  In  the 
original,  the  word  which  is  translated  strive,  is  very  forcible. 
It  signifies,  to  make  a  violent  effort;  to  contend  as  in  com- 
bat; to  labour  against  opposition  with  the  utmost  endeav- 
our, both  of  body  and  of  mind.  This  command  is  evidently 
addressed  to  the  unconverted;  to  those  who  have  not  enter- 
ed the  narrow  way,  who  are  outside  of  the  gate,  who  are 
living  impenitent  in  sin.  Such  are  commanded  "to  strive 
to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate" — that  is,  to  seek  for  the  con- 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACR  71 

version  of  their  souls,  that  in  the  exercise  of  repentance  and 
faith,  they  may  enter  on  and  lead  a  new  life  of  holy  obedi- 
ence. We  need  not  fear  to  imitate  our  Lord  Jesus;  and 
here  is  a  direct  exhortation  to  the  unregcnerate  to  seek  for 
repentance  and  faith.  But  how  are  they  to  be  sought,  since 
they  are  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  the  gift  of  God,  and  with- 
out his  grace  we  never  shall  attain  te:  them?  We  reply, 
they  must  be  sought  in  the  diligent  use  of  those  means  of 
grace  which  God  has  appointed,  and  which  are  usually  ac- 
companied with  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  To  illus- 
trate, confirm,  and  enforce  tliis  truth,  is  the  object  of  the  en- 
suing Discourse;  and  may  the  Holy  Spirit  bless  to  our  edifi- 
cation what  shall  be  spoken. 

Two  propositions  invite  our  attention. 

I.  There  are  means  of  grace;  and  in  the  use  of  these 
means  divine  influences  are  usually  received,  both  for  the 
conversion  of  sinners  and  the  edification  of  believers. 

n.  It  is  the  duty  of  all  men  diligently  to  use  these  means. 
Having  discussed  these  two  propositions  we  shall, 

HI.  Notice  some  objections  which  have  been  urged  against 
the  doctrine  which  we  advocate,  and  then, 

IV.  Conclude  with  the  practical  improvement  of  our 
subject. 

I.  There  are  means  of  grace. 

By  a  mean,  is  intended  that  which,  as  an  instrument,  con- 
duces to  the  attainment  of  an  end;  and  by  means  of  grace, 
are  meant  all  those  institutions  of  God  in  the  use  of  which 
man  seeks  and  usually  obtains  divine  grace.  All  these 
means  are  adapted  to  the  rational  nature  of  man,  and  are 
fitted  to  inform  his  mind,  to  touch  his  conscience,  and  to 
awaken  his  affections. 

It  pleases  God  for  the   illustration  of  his  wisdom,  his 


72  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

goodness,  and  his  power,  to  administer  his  government  by 
the  intervention  of  means.  Were  it  his  pleasure  to  do  so, 
he  could,  by  a  direct  and  immediate  act  of  his  own,  bestow  on 
us  all  that  we  need,  preserve  our  existence,  give  health  to  our 
bodies,  and  knowledge  to  our  minds;  or  he  could  rain  down 
manna  from  heaven;  or,  without  the  toil  of  the  husbandman, 
he  could  cause  the  harvest  to  spring  up  in  rich  abundance 
from  the  earth.  Such,  however,  is  not  the  method  which 
his  infinite  wisdom  has  seen  fit  to  adopt.  His  blessings 
flow  to  us  through  the  intervention  of  means;  we  can  obtain 
them  only  when  we  seek  them  by  the  use  of  proper  means. 

If  we  would  preserve  life,  we  must  use  food;  if  we  would 
enjoy  health,  we  must  practice  temperance  and  prudence; 
if  the  scholar  would  acquire  rich  stores  of  various  know- 
ledge, he  must  give  his  days  and  his  nights  to  unremitted 
study;  and  if  the  husbandmen  would  rejoice  in  the  abun- 
dance of  his  crops,  he  must  submit  to  the  toil  of  breaking  up 
the  ground,  and  of  casting  into  it  the  precious  seed.  The 
success  of  these  efforts  depends  on  the  blessing  of  God,  and 
without  that,  they  will  be  wholly  ineffectual.  We  are  com- 
manded, therefore,  to  put  them  forth  in  humble  dependence 
on  his  assistance  and  blessing,  and  thus  we  are  taught  tore- 
cognise  him  as  the  author  of  all  good,  and  carefully  to  no- 
tice and  admire  his  perfections  as  exhibited  in  his  works. 

The  same  system  is  established  in  the  kingdom  of  Grace 
as  that  which  prevails  in  the  kingdom  of  Providence.  They 
who  ask,  receive;  they  who  seek,  find.  He  who  "watches 
daily  at  Wisdom's  gates,  waiting  at  the  posts  of  her  doors, 
shall  find  her,"  and,  along  with  her,  life  and  blessedness. 

The  means  of  grace  become  such  only  in  consequence  of 
the  appointment  of  God.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
keep  this  truth  steadily  in  view,  for  there  is  a  sinful  pro- 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  73 

pensity  in  men  to  substitute  tlieir  own  inventions  in  place  of 
the  divine  appointments.  This  propensity  God  frowns  upon 
and  rebukes.  "In  vain  do  ye  worship  me  teaching  for  doc- 
trines the  commandments  of  men."  Our  warrant  for  using 
any  ordinance,  is  derived  from  his  appointment  of  it,  while 
our  encouragement  to  observe  it,  arises  from  his  promise  of 
accepting  and  blessing  us  in  so  doing.  Whatever  appear- 
ances of  zeal,  or  of  devotion,  or  of  success,  may  be  exhibited, 
awful  delusion  must  attend  the  pursuit  of  any  measures 
which  God  has  not  ordained. 

Among  the  means  which  are  designed  for  the  conversion 
of  sinners,  and  the  edification  of  believers,  the  three  princi- 
pal are,  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel;  the  written  Word  of 
God;  and  fervent  prayer. 

One  of  the  chief  means  of  grace,  both  for  the  conversion 
of  sinners,  and  the  edification  of  believers,  is  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel.  "  It  hath  pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of 
preaching  to  save  them  who  believe."  "How,"  asks  the 
apostle,  "shall  they  call  on  him  in  whom  they  have  not  be- 
lieved? and  how  shall  they  believe  on  him  of  whom  they 
have  not  heard?  and  how  shall  they  hear  without  a 
preacher?" 

The  ministry  of  reconciliation  was  appointed  by  the  Re- 
deemer, just  before  his  ascension  to  glory,  when  he  com- 
manded his  disciples  to  "go  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  After  Paul  had  been  called 
by  his  grace,  he  was  sent  as  a  messenger  of  mercy  "  to  the 
Gentiles,  to  open  their  eyes  and  to  turn  them  from  darkness 
to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God."  The  di- 
vine blessing  has  accompanied  the  ministers  of  the  word 
from  the  days  of  the  apostles  to  the  present  time.  On  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  thousands  were  converted  by  the  preaching 


74  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

of  Peter;  the  Lord  opened  Lydia's  heart  to  attend  to  the 
things  which  were  spoken  by  Paul;  and  in  every  succeed- 
ing age  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  has  been  to  thousands 
"  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation." 

And  the  principal  instrument  employed  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  the  work  of  regeneration  and  sanctification  of  our 
souls,  is  the  wtntten  Word.  The  apostle  Peter  reminds  his 
other  brethren  that  "  they  were  born  again,  not  of  cor- 
ruptible seed,  but  of  incorruptible,  by  the  word  of  God 
which  liveth  and  abideth  forever."  "The  law  of  the 
Lord,"  says  the  Psalmist  "is  perfect,  converting  the  soul." 

The  special  design  of  God  in  giving  to  us  his  Word,  is 
to  lead  us  into  the  knowledge  of  himself,  and  in  the  paths 
of  life.  "All  scripture,"  says  the  apostle,  "is  given  by 
inspiration  of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  re- 
proof, for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness,  that 
the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto 
all  good  works."  It  has  guided  through  life,  up  to  the 
third  heavens,  myriads  of  the  redeemed  who  are  now  walk- 
ing in  the  presence  of  God,  and  we  shall  do  well  to  take 
heed  to  it  "as  to  a  light  that  shineth  in  a  dark  place,  until 
the  day  dawn,  and  the  day  star  arise  in  our  hearts."  Any 
attempt  to  sink  the  value  of  the  living  ministry,  or  of  the 
written  Word,  is  injurious  to  the  highest  interests  of  man- 
kind. The  Word  without  the  ministry  would  be  neglected, 
and  the  ministry  without  the  Word,  would  run  into  error, 
and  introduce  woful  delusion.  The  word  and  the  ministry 
united,  are  the  great  bulwarks  of  religion,  and  the  instru- 
ments which  God  designs  for  the  conversion,  not  merely  of 
individuals,  but  of  the  world. 

To  the  ministry  and  the  Word,  we  add  fervent  prayer. 
"Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you;    seek,  and  ye  shall  find; 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  75 

knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you."  Prayer  is  the 
great  medium  of  the  intercourse  which  man  holds  with 
God,  in  which  he  opens  the  most  secret  desires  of  his  soul, 
and  confesses  and  deplores  his  sins,  and  makes  known  his 
wants.  '<  The  effectual,  fervent  prayer  of  a  righteous  man 
availelh  much."  "If  ye,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give 
good  gifts  unto  your  children,  how  much  more  shall  your 
heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask 
Him." 

Besides  the  means  of  grace  already  mentioned,  there  are 
others  which  are  highly  important  in  themselves,  and  in 
the  use  of  which,  God  has  promised  to  bestow  on  us  his 
grace.  Among  the  chief  of  these  we  place  the  religious 
education  of  children.  "Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he 
should  go,  and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it." 
The  neglect  of  this  duty  is  a  principal  reason  of  the  awful 
amount  of  irreligion  which  every  where  prevails;  for  the 
surest  method  to  banish  religion  from  the  world,  is  to  banish 
it  from  families.  The  pious  Baxter  has  given  it  as  his 
opinion,  that  if  every  parent  would  faithfully  discharge  his 
duty  in  bringing  up  his  children  in  the  nurture  and  admo- 
nition of  the  Lord,  it  would  almost  render  unnecessary  the 
living  ministry.  Certain  it  is,  that  the  neglect  of  it  brings 
deep  guilt  on  the  parent,  and  shows  an  awful  unconcern  in 
relation  to  the  highest  interests  of  his  child,  by  leaving  him 
exposed  to  the  pernicious  influence  of  false  sentiment  and  vi- 
cious example,  without  any  fixed  principles  to  save  him  from 
their  contagion.  The  consequences  on  the  part  of  the  child 
are,  generally,  such  as  might  be  expected — an  irreligious 
life,  and  an  unhappy  death.  From  the  lips  of  pious  and 
faithful  parents,  especially  from  the  lips  of  a  pious  mother, 
the  child  generally  receives  his  earliest,  his  best,  and  his 


76  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

most  lasting  impressions.  To  her  it  belongs  to  direct  his 
first  thoughts,  to  mould  his  temper;  to  give  an  impulse  to 
all  his  feelings  and  desires;  and  her  instructions,  and  warn- 
ings, and  prayers,  and  tears,  are  the  things  which,  amid  all 
the  waywardness  and  folly  of  mankind,  are  last  forgotten  by 
her  child;  which  exert  over  his  heart  a  most  salutary  in- 
fluence, and  are  often  recalled  with  fond  remembrance  and 
gratitude.  Should  he  be  so  unhappy  as  to  be  enticed  by 
ungodly  companions,  and  to  fall  into  dissolute  habits,  the  re- 
membrance of  his  mother's  instructions  and  prayers  will 
haunt  his  gayest  hours,  and  check  his  mad  career;  and 
though  he  may  have  run  deep  in  sinful  excesses,  will  pro- 
bably bring  him  back  a  humble  penitent  to  God — blessed 
reward  for  the  anxieties,  and  sorrows,  and  instruction,  and 
prayers,  of  maternal  love,  thus  to  have  trained  a  child  for 
holiness,  and  heaven,  and  God!  Precious  is  the  memory 
of  such  a  parent  to  her  offspring,  for  "her  children  rise  up 
after  her  and  call  her  blessed.''* 


*  A  striking  instance  of  the  correctness  of  the  above  remarks  occurred  to 
the  author  immediately  after  he  had  preached  this  discourse.  On  his  return 
home  from  Philadelphia,  there  was  in  the  stage  with  him,  as  a  fellow-passen- 
ger, a  respected  brother  in  the  ministry,  who  resides  in  one  of  the  western 
States.  In  the  course  of  conversation,  he  gave  to  the  author  a  short  account 
of  his  religious  history.  He  is  the  son  of  pious  parents,  who  had  devoted  liim 
in  early  life  to  God,  and  carefully  instructed  him  in  the  principles  of  religion. 
When  he  had  attained  a  sufficient  age,  he  studied  medicine,  and,  if  I  mistake 
not,  attended  the  medical  lectures  at  Philadelphia.  Unfortunately,  by  perusing 
the  works  of  some  infidel  writers,  and  by  the  influence  of  ungodly  companions, 
his  mind  was  corrupted,  and  he  became  a  sceptic.  He  remarked,  however, 
that  he  never  could  entirely  embrace  the  sentiments  of  sceptical  writers, 
owing  to  his  having  read  so  extensively  in  ancient  history,  which  enabled 
him  to  detect  the  falsehood  of  many  of  their  statements.  He  afterwards  com- 
menced the    practice  of  physic,  and  his  irreligion  and  scepticism  were  fre- 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  77 

Without  enlarging  on  the  other  means  of  grace,  we  shall 
content  ourselves  with  simply  mentioning  them.  They 
are  the  following: — 

Serious  meditation.  **  I  thought  on  my  way,"  says  the 
Psalmist,  "and  turned  my  feet  unto  thy  testimonies." 

Self-examination.  ''Examine  yourselves  whether  ye 
be  in  the  faith;  prove  your  own  selves;  know  ye  not  your 
own  selves,  except  ye  be  reprobates." 

The  company  of  pious  men.  "He  that  walketh  with 
wise  men  shall  be  wise;  but  a  companion  of  fools  shall  be 
destroyed." 

The  sacraments,  which  are  especially  designed  to  edify 
believers. 

It  is  by  the  diligent  and  conscientious  use  of  these  means, 
that  men  are  commanded  to  seek  for  spiritual  blessings,  and 

quently  noticed  by  others,  and  caused  great  grief  to  his  pious  parents.  One  day 
an  infidel  neiglibour  began  conversing  of  liis  irreligious  conduct  before  a  com- 
pany, one  of  which  was  his  mother,  and  with  a  view,  it  was  thouglit,  of  wound- 
ing her  feelings.  He  scoffingly  said  that  there  is  no  truth  in  the  old  saying, 
"  train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go,  and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not  de- 
part from  it;"  that  those  children  who  were  brougiit  up  religiously  always 
turned  out  more  wicked  than  others,  and  noticed  him  as  an  instance.  His 
mother,  a  pious  Scotch  lady,  was  indignant  at  the  impiety  of  the  declaration, 
and  afterwards  said,  that,  at  the  time,  she  felt  more  anxious  that  God  would 
vindicate  the  trutli  of  his  declarations  tlian  even  for  the  salvation  of  her  son. 
She  had  been  anxiously  praying  for  his  conversion,  but  now  she  prayed  that 
God  would  exhibit  his  glory  by  proving  the  truth  of  his  word.  About  this 
time  her  son  was  led  to  read  the  Scriptures  with  Scott's  notes;  deep  impres- 
sions'were  produced  on  his  mind;  he  was  led  to  a  salutary  concern  for  the 
salvation  of  his  soul,  and  became,  we  trust,  a  sincere  believer  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  He  is  now  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  nobly  exerting  him- 
self to  bestow  on  others  those  blessings  which  the  Gospel  alone  conveys.  He 
considered  his  conversion  as  an  answer  to  tlic  prayers  of  his  parents,  and 
said  to  me,  "  I  was  saved  because  I  am  a  child  of  the  covenant." 
11 


78  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

when  they  thus  use  them,  these  blessings  are  usually  re- 
ceived. God  will  have  his  own  appointments  honoured, 
nor  have  we  any  right  to  expect  his  blessing  while  we  ne- 
glect his  institutions,  or  violate  his  commandments.  The 
most  diligent  use  of  these  means,  however,  does  not  lay 
him  under  any  obligation  to  bestow  on  us  his  grace;  for  if 
so,  God  would  be  our  debtor,  and  bound  in  justice  to  save 
us.  But,  in  the  same  individual,  grace  and  merit  cannot 
co-exist;  nor  can  any  unregenerate  man  perform  good 
works  acceptable  to  God.  ''Not  by  works  of  righteous- 
ness which  we  have  done,  but  according  to  his  mercy  he 
saved  us." 

Considered  simply  in  themselves,  these  means  have  no 
efficacy  to  convert  the  soul;  but  all  their  efficacy  is  derived 
from  the  accompanying  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  They 
are,  indeed,  adapted  to  our  rational  nature,  and  suited  alike 
to  inform  the  mind  and  to  affect  the  heart.  In  effecting  the 
work  of  regeneration,  God  deals  with  man  as  a  rational 
creature,  by  placing  before  him  motives;  by  addressing  to 
him  commands,  promises,  warnings,  threatenings,  and  invi- 
tations; and  by  appealing  to  every  passion  and  desire  of  the 
soul — to  the  affections,  the  reason,  and  the  conscience.  In 
the  preaching  and  reading  of  the  Word,  truth  comes  to  us 
clothed  with  the  authority  and  majesty  of  God;  our  atten- 
tion is  called  to  subjects  the  most  sublime,  interesting,  so- 
lemn, and  affecting.  The  worth  of  the  soul,  the  solemni- 
ties of  death,  the  terrors  of  the  judgment,  and  the  glories 
and  horrors  of  eternity,  are  placed  before  us  to  rouse  us 
from  the  slumbers  of  sin.  The  indignation  of  the  Lord  is 
denounced  against  the  hardened  transgressor,  and  he  is 
warned  of  that  awful  perdition  which  awaits  him;  while 
the  sweet  message  of  mercy  is  addressed  to  the  humbled 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  79 

penitent,  and  he  is  pointed  to  the  cross  of  the  Redeemer, 
and  assured  that  there  is  forgiveness  for  the  chief  of  sinners. 
In  prayer  we  approach  into  the  immediate  presence  of  the 
eternal  God;  we  contemplate  his  infinite  majesty,  his  spot- 
less purity,  his  boundless  power,  and  his  amazing  compas- 
sion; we  confess  our  depravity,  our  un worthiness,  our  guilt, 
and  our  dependence  on  his  grace;  we  offer  our  thanksgivings 
for  mercies,  and  we  humbly  ask  his  pardoning  and  sancti- 
fying grace.  Every  thing  in  prayer  is  calculated  to  pro- 
duce deep  impressions  on  the  heart,  and  to  awaken  its  best 
affections.  Still,  without  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
all  will  be  in  vain.  The  new  heart  is  the  gift  of  God. 
Even  the  eloquence  of  an  Apostle  will  be  of  no  avail  for  the 
conversion  of  the  soul,  without  the  accompany  influences  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  "Who  then  is  Paul,  and  who  is  ApoUos, 
but  ministers  by  whom  ye  believed,  even  as  the  Lord  gave 
to  every  man."  "I  have  planted,  Apollos  watered,  but 
God  gave  the  increase."  Any  success  that  may  attend  our 
efforts  should  be  ascribed  to  the  power  and  goodness  of 
God.  "The  weapons  of  our  warfare,"  says  the  apostle, 
"are  not  carnal,  but  mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling 
down  of  strong  holds;  casting  down  imaginations  and  every 
high  thing  that  exalteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God, 
and  bringing  into  captivity  every  thought  to  the  obedience 
of  Christ. 

Having  thus  exhibited  the  nature  and  design  of  the  means 
of  grace,  we  proceed  to  consider, 

11.  Our  second  head  of  discourse,  which  is  to  show, 
That  it  is  the  duty  of  all  men  to  use  with  diligence  these 
means. 

We  are  not  aware  that  any  have  denied  that  it  is  the  duty 


80  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

of  sincere  believers  in  Christ  to  use  them,  but  it  has  been 
questioned  whether  the  unregenerate  should  be  exhorted  to 
the  use  of  them.  Much  of  the  difficulty  on  this  point  will, 
we  think,  be  removed  by  a  clear  apprehension  of  their  na- 
ture and  design.  They  may  be  considered  under  three 
aspects:  as  duties,  arising  out  of  the  relation  which  exists 
between  man  and  God;  as  means,  in  the  use  of  which  sin- 
ners usually  receive  divine  grace;  and  as  means  of  edifica- 
tion to  believers. 

1.  The  means  which  we  have  specified  may  be  considered 
as  duties  arising  from  the  command  of  God,  and  the  relation 
which  exists  between  him  and  man.  The  Gospel  message 
and  the  written  Word  are  addressed  to  every  creature,  and 
every  man  is  bound  to  listen  when  God  speaks.  Prayer  is 
an  humble  acknowledgment  of  God  as  our  Creator,  Ruler, 
Preserver,  and  Judge.  No  man  on  earth  has  authority  to 
say  to  another,  that  it  is  not  his  duty  to  listen  to  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel,  or  to  read  the  Scriptures,  or  to  offer 
prayer.  These  are  solemn  acts  of  worship,  in  which  we 
acknowledge  God  as  our  God,  and  therefore  no  man  is  at 
liberty  to  neglect  them. 

It  is  in  vain  to  reply,  that  since  unregenerate  men  do  not 
perform  these  duties  from  holy  principles,  they  will  not  be 
pleasing  to  God,  and  therefore  the  observance  of  them  ought 
not  to  be  enjoined;  for  the  same  objection  will  apply  to 
every  act  of  the  unregenerate,  and,  if  pushed  to  its  utmost, 
will  reduce  them  to  a  state  of  complete  inactivity.  We 
are  commanded  "whether,  therefore,  ye  eat  or  drink,  or 
whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God."  But  must 
we  forbid  sinners  to  eat  or  drink,  because  they  are  not  in- 
fluenced by  holy  principles?  Our  obligation  to  obey  God 
arises  not  from  the  possession  of  holy  principles  of  action. 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  Qi 

but  from  the  relation  which  we  bear  to  him  as  his  rational 
creatures,  endowed  with  faculties  which  render  us  capable  of 
knowing,  loving,  and  obeying  him.  As  the  most  glorious 
Being  in  the  universe,  and  infinitely  perfect,  he  is  worthy  of 
our  supreme  affection;  and,  as  he  is  our  Creator,  Pre- 
server, Ruler,  and  Judge,  we  arc  under  the  strongest  pos- 
sible obligations  to  love  and  obey  him.  We  are  bound  to 
believe  all  that  he  says,  to  perform  all  that  he  commands, 
to  submit  to  all  that  he  appoints,  and  to  consecrate  to  his 
service  and  glory  all  the  powers  which  we  possess.  It  is 
therefore,  the  duty  of  every  man  to  hear,  and  believe,  and 
receive  the  message  which  God  addresses  to  him  in  his  holy 
Word;  and  by  humble  prayer,  and  supplication,  and  thanks- 
giving, to  acknowledge  and  worship  him  as  God  over  all; 
and  nothing  can  release  him  from  these  duties. 

Moreover,  since  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  commanded 
his  ministers  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature,  it  is 
the  duty  of  every  creature  to  hear;  and  not  merely  to  hear, 
but  to  remember,  to  meditate  upon,  to  lay  to  heart,  and  to 
pray  over,  what  he  hears;  to  examine  it  by  the  light  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  to  compare  with  it  his  own  temper  and  con- 
duct. It  will  not,  we  imagine,  be  asserted  that  all  they  of 
Berea,  who  are  spoken  of.  Acts  xvii.  11,  were  truly  con- 
verted, and  3^et,  they  arc  commended,  because  they  re- 
ceived the  Word  with  all  readiness  of  mind,  and  searched 
the  Scriptures  daily,  whether  these  things  were  so;  there- 
fore, it  is  added,   "many  of  them  believed." 

The  numerous,  and  strong  commands  which  ai  e  given  to 
the  unregenerate,  to  seek  for  the  divine  favour,  in  our  opin- 
ion, decisively  settles  the  question.  "Strive  to  enter  in  at 
the  strait  gate."  "Seek  ye  the  Lord  while  he  may  be 
found,  call  ye  upon  him  while  he  is  near."     "Stand  ye  in 


82  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

honour  on  his  own  institutions;  that  the  Gospel  has  most 
success  among  those  who,  from  infancy,  are  instructed  in 
souls."  "Hear  instruction,  and  be  wise,  and  refuse  it  not. 
Blessed  is  the  man  that  heareth  me,  watching  at  my  gates, 
waiting  at  the  posts  of  my  doors.  For  whoso  findeth  me, 
findeth  life,  and  shall  obtain  favour  of  the  Lord."  These, 
and  a  multitude  of  similar  commands,  are  addressed  to  all 
men  alike,  urging  them  to  the  use  of  the  means  through 
which  divine  mercy  is  obtained. 

2.  Another  consideration  which  establishes  our  doctrine 
is,  that,  on  the  use  of  these  means,  sinners  usually  receive 
the  renewing  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

When  we  look  back  on  the  history  of  the  Church,  and  of 
the  world,  we  find,  that  true  religion  has  prevailed  among 
those  nations  whp  enjoyed  these  means,  and,  generally,  in 
the  same  degree  as  they  were  enjoyed  in  purity  and  abun- 
dance. The  condition  of  the  heathen  nations  who  were 
destitute  of  them  was  truly  gloomy.  It  was  among 
the  descendants  of  Abraham,  who  were  blessed  with  the 
priesthood,  the  Word,  and  the  ordinances  of  the  House  of 
God,  that  the  great  body  of  the  pious  who  lived  before  the 
coming  of  Christ  were  found.  Since  that  event,  true  piety 
has  prevailed,  almost  exclusively,  in  the  Christian  Church. 
It  has  been  preserved  by  means  of  the  various  institutions 
which  God  has  appointed:  and  if  these  institutions  were 
once  abolished,  or  neglected, 'impiety  would  universally 
prevail. 

When  we  turn  from  nations  and  communities,  to  con- 
template individuals,  we  still  find  the  divine  blessing  ac- 
companying the  use  of  these  means.  We  pretend  not  to 
limit  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  nor,  do  we  deny  extraordinary 
instances  of  conversion;  but  we  find,  in  fact,  that  God  puts 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  83 

the  ways,  and  sec,  and  ask  for  Ihc  old  paths,  where  is  the 
good  way,  and  walk  therein,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  to  your 
its  truths,  and  in  the  strict  observance  of  its  ordinances. 
Thousands  have  been  brought  to  saving  faith  in  Christ, 
through  the  divine  blessing  accompanying  the  preaching 
and  reading  of  the  Word,  when  attended  on  with  devout 
meditation  and  prayer.  In  one  of  the  most  admirable  un- 
inspired representations  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  reli- 
gion in  the  soul,  with  Avhich  the  world  has  ever  been 
blessed,  the  awakened  sinner,  oppressed  with  the  burden  of 
his  sins,  is  represented  as  seeking  for  retirement,  there  to 
read,  and  pray,  and  meditate,  till  Evangelist  meets  him, 
and  directs  him  to  the  narrow  gate,  and  to  Christ,  for  salva 
tion.  The  excellent  Dr.  Scott,  in  his  "Force  of  Truth," 
has  given  us  the  history  of  his  own  conversion,  and  it 
clearly  shows,  that  they  have  reason  to  expect  the  divine 
blessing,  who  seek  it  by  a  devout  perusal  of  the  Scriptures, 
with  meditation  and  prayer.  In  one  word,  divine  grace 
has  flowed  forth  in  this  way,  to  the  myriads  of  the  re- 
deemed. ^V'hile  they  were  seeking  God  in  the  use  of  the 
means,  his  Spirit  came  upon  them  with  his  renewing  in- 
fluences, and  wrought  in  them  unfeigned  repentance  and 
faith. 

3.  A  third  argument  in  favour  of  the  sentiment  which 
we  arc  advocating,  is,  that  those  who  live  in  the  wilful  and 
habitual  neglect  of  these  means,  have  no  right  to  expect  the 
salvation  of  their  souls.  If  the  divine  blessing  usually  ac- 
companies them,  then,  to  neglect  them,  is  to  guard  against 
the  reception  of  this  blessing,  is  to  put  ourselves  as  far  as 
we  can  out  of  the  reach  of  mercy,  and  deliberately  to  choose 
the  paths  of  death.  Whoever  acts  thus,  will,  hereafter,  in 
the  bitterness  of  his  soul,  repent  of  his  folly.     By  so  doing 


84  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

he  incurs  the  displeasure  of  God.  An  awful  denunciation 
is  pronounced  by  the  Redeemer  himself,  on  those  cities 
which  rejected  his  preaching.  "Wo  unto  thee,  Chorazin! 
wo  unto  thee,  Bethsaida!  for  if  the  mighty  works  which 
were  done  in  you,  had  been  done  in  Tyre  and  Sidon,  they 
would  have  repented  long  ago  in  sackcloth  and  ashes."  Im- 
penitent sinner,  it  is  no  speculation,  it  is  solemn  truth,  that 
if  the  Gospel  message  is  rejected  by  thee,  if  it  does  not  lead 
thee  to  offer  fervent  supplication  for  the  renewing  influences 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  if  it  is  not  cordially  received  with 
penitence  and  faith,  thy  condemnation  is  certain  and  terri- 
ble; more  terrible  than  that  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha.  To 
thee,  the  Gospel  message  is  now  addressed;  to  thee,  pardon, 
purchased  by  a  Saviour's  blood,  is  freely  offered;  to  thee, 
the  hour  of  mercy  is  announced,  and  thou  art  pointed  to  the 
throne  of  grace,  and  a  compassionate  Saviour,  that  thou 
mayest  obtain  salvation.  Reject  not  the  message,  refuse 
not  the  mercy,  lest,  peradventure,  throughout  eternity 
thou  mayest  curse  thy  folly  and  thy  sin. 

4.  But  finally,  the  question  of  the  propriety  and  impor- 
tance of  a  diligent  use  of  the  means  of  grace,  is  settled,  in 
fact,  by  the  conduct  of  every  awakened  sinner  and  every 
pious  parent.  When  the  arrows  of  conviction  have  pierc- 
ed the  sinner's  breast,  you  cannot  prevent  him  from  pray- 
ing, from  reading,  from  hearing  the  Gospel  preached.  He 
sees  that  he  is  a  guilty  and  ruined  man;  he  feels  himself  to 
be  sinking  amid  the  billows  of  wrath;  and  fear*  lest  the 
shadows  of  everlasting  death  are  coming  over  his  soul.  Oh, 
how  vain  is  every  effort  now  to  deter  him  from  asking  for 
mercy  from  his  God!  His  cries  pierce  the  heavens — 
"What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?" — "God  be  merciful  to  me 
a  sinner."     How  precious  to  him  now,  is  his  once  slighted 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  85 

Bible,  and  with  what  intense  anxiety  does  he  listen  to  the 
minister  of  Jesus,  hoping  for  some  message  of  mercy,  some 
glad  tidings  of  peace,  some  promise  of  salvation,  that  may 
soothe  the  anguish  of  his  wounded  spirit.  Helpless  and 
ruined,  he  casts  himself  at  the  feet  of  the  Redeemer,  resolved 
that  if  he  perishes,  he  will  perish  with  the  cry  for  mercy, 
as  the  last  sound  that  is  uttered  by  his  lips. 

Again:  Does  the  pious  parent,  because  he  fears  that  his 
child  is  unconverted,  hesitate  to  place  him  under  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel;  or  to  teach  him  to  read  the  Scriptures; 
or  to  offer  his  prayers  to  God?  How  strange,  how  utterly 
absurd  would  it  sound,  to  hear  a  pious  parent  plead,  as  an 
excuse  for  the  neglect  of  these  things,  that  he  has  no  reason 
to  believe  that  his  child  is  regenerate.  No!  he  knows  that 
the  most  important  duty  which  he  owes  to  his  child  is  to 
"bring  him  up  in  the.  iiuiluit;  and  ndmnnitiun  of  the  Liord." 
He  therefore  devotes  him,  as  Samuel  was  devoted,  to  the 
Lord;  he  teaches  him,  as  Timothy  was  taught,  "from  a  child 
to  know  the  Holy  Scriptures;"  he  accustoms  him  to  the  use 
of  the  means  of  grace,  because  he  knows  that  in  this  way 
divine  grace  is  usually  received,  and  he  asks,  with  fervent 
supplication,  that  the  divine  blessing  may  accompany  his 
efforts. 

Such,  then,  are  our  reasons  for  asserting,  that  a  diligent 
use  of  the  means  of  grace  is  the  duty  of  every  man.  There 
is  not  a  sinner  on  earth  to  whom  we  dare  say,  '  you  must 
not  attend  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel;  you  must  not  read 
the  word  of  God ;  you  must  not  pray,  or  attend  to  any 
religious  duty.'  It  would  be  as  absurd  to  do  this,  as  it  would 
'  be  to  forbid  a  beggar,  who  is  dying  with  hunger,  to  ask  for 
food;  or  to  debar  a  sick  man  from  the  use  of  medicine  for 
the  recovery  of  health.  It  would  be  to  exclude  men  from 
12 


86  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

the  remedy  which  God  has  provided  for  their  healing;  from 
the  very  means  which  he  has  instituted  for  their  recovery 
from  sin  and  death,  and  in  the  use  of  which  only,  we  can 
hope  to  receive  those  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  which 
prepare  us  for  heaven.     But, 

III.  Objections  have  been  raised  against  the  doctrine 
which  we  are  advocating,  and  it  is  proper  that  they  should 
be  considered.  We  shall  notice  but  two,  since  they  are  the 
most  common  and  important. 

1.  The  first  is,  the  decree  of  God  renders  the  use  of 
means  unavailing?  that,  if  God  has  predestinated  us  to  sal- 
vation, we  shall  be  saved  whether  we  use  or  neglect  these 
means.  To  this  objection  our  reply  shall  be  short.  It  pro- 
ceeds on  a  misrepresentation  and  mistake  of  the  nature  of 
the  divine  decrees.  The  Bible  speaks  of  no  absolute,  un- 
conditional decree,  but  always  represents  the  means  as  de- 
creed in  connexion  with  the  end.  The  divine  decree  ex- 
tends to  every  event  and  to  all  concerns;  but  they  who 
raise  this  objection  apply  it  exclusively  to  our  religious  con- 
cerns; whereas,  to  be  consistent,  they  should  carry  it  through- 
out all  their  affairs,  and  use  no  means  for  the  attainment  of 
any  end;  if  sick,  they  should  take  no  medicine;  if  poor,  they 
should  use  no  efforts  to  obtain  wealth;  for,  on  their  own 
principles,  if  God  has  decreed  that  they  shall  recover  health, 
or  obtain  riches,  these  events  will  happen  as  certainly  with- 
out as  with  effort.  Every  one  sees  the  absurdity  of  this 
sentiment  when  applied  to  the  common  affairs  of  life,  and  it 
is  just  as  absurd  when  applied  to  religious  subjects. 

2.  A  second  objection,  which  has  been  very  strongly  urg-  ' 
ed  against  the  truth  we  are  advocating  is,  that  it  is  unscrip- 
tural  and  dangerous  to  exhort  sinners  to  use  the  means  of 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  37 

grace,  since,  to  do  so,  lias  a  tendency  to  lead  them  to  rest 
in  the  means,  without  exercising  saving  repentance  and  faith. 
It  is  contended,  that  sinners  should  be  exhorted  to  imme- 
diate submission  to  God;  to  immediate  repentance  and  faith; 
and  that  it  is  at  our  peril,  if  we  exhort  them  to  any  thing 
short  of  these,  or  which  does  not  include  them.  To  render 
this  objection  plainer,  we  state  the  following  case:  A  sin- 
ner, awakened  to  a  sense  of  his  guilt  and  danger,  anxiously 
inquires  "what  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?"  He  is  told  ''be- 
lieve on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved."  He 
replies,  my  mind  is  so  blind,  my  affections  are  so  depraved, 
there  is  so  much  hardness  and  corruption  in  my  heart,  that 
I  cannot  believe,  1  cannot  repent.  I  am  as  helpless  as  I  am 
guilty;  all  my  resolutions  and  efforts  are  ineffectual,  and, 
unless  I  receive  mercy  from  God,  I  am  forever  lost.  What 
shall  we  say  to  him  in  reply?  Shall  we  direct  him  to  ask, 
by  importunate  prayer,  for  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  enable  him  to  repent  and  believe  ?  Shall  we  exhort  him 
to  break  off  from  every  sinful  practice;  to  read,  meditate 
upon,  and  pray  over  the  word  of  God;  to  attend  on  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel,  and  seek  the  company  and  conver- 
sation of  the  pious,  that  thus  he  may  obtain  the  blessing  of 
God?  No,  say  some,  this  would  be  to  give  dangerous, 
soul-destroying  advice,  and  to  be  accessary  to  the  sinner's 
perdition.  Immediate  submission  to  God  must  be  enjoined 
on  him,  and  he  must  be  warned,  that  if  he  does  not  imme- 
diately repent  and  believe,  his  damnation  may  be  sudden 
and  awful. 

There  are  two  classes  of  theologians  who  maintain  this 
last  sentiment.  One  class  holds  it  in  connexion  with  the 
belief  of  the  moral  inability  of  the  sinner  to  change  his 
heart,  and  that  repentance  and  faith  arc  the  gift  of  God: — 


88  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

the  other  maintain,  that  it  is  as  easy  to  repent  and  believe  as 
it  is  to  perform  any  bodily  action;  that  there  is  no  other 
divine  influence  necessary  or  bestowed  in  our  religious  con- 
cerns than  is  exerted  in  the  preservation  of  our  lives,  and 
the  performance  of  our  common  daily  actions;  and  that 
man  is  universally,  necessarily,  and  absolutely  active  in 
regeneration. 

We  are  constrained  to  observe  in  relation  to  this  last  senti- 
ment, namely,  that  man  is  active  in  regeneration,  that  we  con- 
sider it  a  fearful  departure  from  fundamental  Gospel  truth. 
The  most  eminent  and  successful  divines  of  former  days  con- 
sidered it  a  matter  of  the  first  importance,  that  a  sinner  should 
be  convinced  of  his  entire  inability  to  perform  good  works 
acceptable  to  God,  or  to  recover  himself  from  a  state  of  sin 
and  misery;  that  being  thus  convinced,  he  might  be  brought, 
as  a  depraved,  guilty,  and  helpless  creature,  to  renounce  all 
dependence  on  his  own  strength,  and  cast  himself  entirely 
on  the  mercy  of  God  through  Christ.  Even  within  our 
own  recollection,  a  remarkable  difference  has  taken  place  in 
the  theology  and  mode  of  preaching,  of  a  large  class  of  di- 
vine:; in  our  Church.  The  distinction  between  a  natural 
and  a  moral  inability  was  formerly  much  insisted  on,  and  it 
was  considered  of  great  importance  to  represent  the  ina- 
bility of  the  sinner  as  of  a  moral  kind.  This  was  then 
represented  as  a  new  and  important  improvement  in  the- 
ology, though  the  distinction  had  been  made  long  before, 
in  the  writings  of  some  of  the  soundest  Calvinistic  divines, 
and  when  properly  explained,  is  wholly  unobjectionable. 
Now,  however,  the  ability  of  the  sinner  to  repent  and  be- 
lieve, and  his  activity  in  regeneration,  are  earnestly  incul- 
cated as  most  important  improvements  in  theology,  and 
intimately  connected  with  the  prevalence  of  revivals  of 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.       89 

religion.  The  sinner  is  called  on  to  repent  and  believe  in- 
stantaneously, and  is  assured,  that  it  is  as  easy  for  him  to 
do  so  as  to  raise  an  arm,  or  to  perform  any  bodily  motion; 
and  they  who  exhort  him  to  use  the  means  of  grace  are 
frowned  on,  as  though  they  would  delude,  or  mislead  him. 
In  relation  to  this  sentiment,  several  remarks  present 
themselves  to  our  minds. 

1.  If  sinners  have  power  to  believe  and  repent  instanta- 
neously, then,  they  must,  necessarily,  have  ability  to  use 
the  means  of  grace  aright.  Surely  it  will  not  be  asserted, 
that  a  sinner  has  power  to  regenerate  himself, — to  believe, 
and  repent — and  yet,  that  he  has  not  power  to  hear,  or  read 
the  Word  of  God,  and  pray  aright.  There  can,  therefore, 
be  no  possible  reason  for  discouraging  him,  any  more  than 
for  discouraging  the  truly  pious  from  the  use  of  these 
means.  Tjie  objection  carries  along  with  it  its  own  refuta- 
tion, and  we  think,  that  we  might  rest  the  subject  here, 
were  it  not  too  serious  to  be  thus  dismissed. 

2.  To  discourage  a  sinner  from  using  the  means  of  grace, 
under  the  pretence  that  he  has  ability,  in  himself,  to  be- 
lieve and  repent,  is  alike  delusive  and  dangerous.  We 
retort  the  charge,  and  say,  that  it  is  at  our  peril,  if  we  do 
not  exhort  men  to  hear,  and  read  the  Word  of  God  with 
prayer.  The  opinion,  that  they  are  able  at  any  time  to  re- 
pent and  believe,  is  precisely  the  grand  delusion  which 
keeps  impenitent  men  careless  in  sin.  Every  unrenewed 
man,  whatever  may  be  his  speculative  opinion,  trusts,  in 
fact,  in  himself,  in  confidence  of  his  power  to  perform  all 
duty.  Here,  all  impenitent  sinners  are  agreed  with  that 
class  of  divines  who  maintain  human  ability,  and  it  is  no 
wonder  that  the  doctrine  has  many  advocates,  for  it  entirely 
accords  with  the  feelings  of  the  unrenewed  heart.     But  it 


90  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

is  somewhat  remarkable,  that  the  grand  blunder  of  which 
man  has  been  guilty  in  every  age,  since  the  apostacy  of 
Adam — the  error  to  which  he  clings  with  the  fondest  at- 
tachment, and  the  last  which  he  relinquishes  in  accepting  of 
Christ, — that  this  error  is  now  represented  as  a  great  improve- 
ment in  theology;  as  evidencing  the  march  of  mind,  and  the 
possession  of  superior  light;  and  that  they  who  do  not  assent 
to  it  are  often  assailed  as  unfriendly  to  revivals,  as  behind 
the  improvements  of  the  day,  and  as  lukewarm  formalists. 
Gospel  truth  is,  however,  too  precious  to  be  lightly  aban- 
doned, and  it  is  our  duty  at  every  cost  to  defend  it.  We 
do  not  hesitate,  therefore,  to  declare,  that  we  consider  the 
representations  which  are  frequently  made  in  relation  to 
human  ability,  as  directly  at  variance  with  the  Word  of  God, 
and  the  experience  of  every  real  believer  in  Christ.  Do 
the  Scriptures  speak  of  the  condition  of  men  while  unre- 
generate?  They  are  then  represented  as  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins;  as  without  strength;  as  alienated  from  God;  and 
the  carnal  mind  is  declared  to  be  enmity  against  God,  so 
that  they  who  are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please  God.  Is  the 
deliverance  of  men  from  this  state  of  spiritual  bondage  and 
death  described  ?  Then  God  is  uniformly  declared  to  be 
the  author  of  this  deliverance,  and  the  strongest  terms  which 
language  can  supply  are  used,  to  express  the  greatness  of 
the  work,  and  the  power  which  is  exerted  in  its  accom- 
plishment. It  is  a  resurrection  from  the  dead — a  new  crea- 
tion— a  victory  gained  over  enmity  and  opposition.  Let 
it  not  be  objected,  that  these  representations  are  figurative. 
True,  they  are;  but  the  figures  are  strong  and  expressive. 
What  is  a  resurrection  but  the  infusion  of  new  life  into  a 
dead  body,  into  an  inactive  and  inert  corpse?  Yet,  the 
apostle  asserts,  that  such  is  the  change  which  is  effected  in 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  91 

regeneration.  <'You  hath  he  quickened,  who  were  dead 
in  trespasses  and  sins."  What  is  the  work  of  creation  but 
bringing  into  being  that  which  did  not  previously  exist? 
Yet,  to  denote  the  absence  of  all  holy  principles  and  quali- 
ties in  men,  previous  to  regeneration,  and  their  first  produc- 
tion in  the  soul  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  when  he  efiects  this 
work,  the  apostle  calls  it  a  new  creation.  "  If  any  man  be 
in  Christ  he  is  a  new  creature;"  and  again,  "We  are  his 
workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  to  good  works."  Nay 
more,  to  show  that  men  neither  concur  in,  nor  favour  the 
work  of  regeneration,  that  it  is  in  no  respect  theirs,  it  is  de- 
clared, to  be  the  overcoming  of  enmity  and  opposition. 
<'You  that  were  sometimes  alienated,  and  enemies  in  your 
mind  by  wicked  works,  yet  now  hath  he  reconciled."  Let 
it  be  remembered,  that  such  arc  the  representations  of  this 
work  which  the  Holy  Ghost  has  made  in  the  volume  of 
Inspiration,  and  though  the  argument  derived  from  them, 
may  be  dismissed  with  a  cavil,  and  a  subterfuge,  we  are  sa- 
tisfied, that  it  cannot  be  fairly  refuted.  To  represent  the 
sinner  as  having  full  ability  to  repent  and  believe,  in  oppo- 
sition to  such  plain,  and  strong  declarations  of  Scripture,  is 
equally  erroneous  and  dangerous.  It  encourages  him  to 
trust  in  himself;  it  prevents  a  suitable  conviction  of  his  sin- 
fulness, and  weakness,  and  danger,  and  thereby  interposes 
a  serious  obstacle  in  the  way  of  an  immediate  application  to 
Christ,  and  an  entire  dependence  on  him. 

3.  We  remark,  still  further,  that  the  manner  in  which 
sinners  are  exhorted  to  immediate  submission  to  a  sovereign 
God,  has  excited  both  surprise  and  alarm.  No  truths  are 
more  clearly,  strongly,  and  repeatedly  taught  in  Scripture 
than  these  two:  that  wc  are  reconciled  to  God  through 
Christ;  and  that  we  are  renewed  and  prepared  for  heaven. 


03  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

only  by  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Christ  is  the  cen- 
tre in  which  all  the  lines  of  ?he  Gospel  Buwt  meet;  the  only 
medium  of  access  to  the  Father;  the  only  source  of  forgive- 
ness and  peace  to  the  sinner;  and  yet,  we  sometimes  hear 
addresses  to  unregenerate  men,  exhorting  them  to  imme- 
diate submission  to  a  sovereign  God,  to  be  disposed  of  ac- 
cording to  his  will,  irrespective  of  Christ,  and  losing  sight 
of  him  as  the  only  source  of  salvation.  We  believe  that 
this  mode  of  address  arises  from  peculiar  views  of  the  nature 
of  the  atonement,  as  a  mere  exhibition  of  divine  displeasure  at 
sin,  and  from  not  considering  Christ,  in  his  mediatorial  cha- 
racters, as  the  Covenant  Head,  Substitute,  Surety,  and  High 
Priest  of  his  people.  But,  from  whatever  source  it  may 
arise,  we  cannot  but  think  that  it  derogates  from  the  honour 
of  the  Redeemer,  and  that  it  jeopardizes  the  salvation  of 
the  sinner,  by  not  calling  his  attention  with  sufficient  clear- 
ness to  Christ,  as  the  only  source  of  eternal  life. 

The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  regenerating  men,  is  an- 
other fundamental  part  of  the  Gospel  scheme.  "  We  are 
saved  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."  He  sheds  celestial  light  into  the  darkened 
mind;  he  elevates,  and  purifies  the  debased  affections;  and 
revealing  to  the  sinner  his  guilt,  and  helplessness,  and 
misery,  enables  him  by  his  grace  to  receive,  and  rest  on 
Christ  for  salvation.  What  then  are  we  to  think  of  those 
exhortations,  which  lose  sight  of  these  important  Gospel 
truths;  which  would  persuade  the  sinner  of  his  ability  to 
repent  and  believe,  and  which  do  not  direct  him  to  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  alone  can  renew  and  purify  his  heart? 

They  may  be  boastingly  proclaimed  as  improvements  in 
theology,  and  as  evidencing  the  march  of  mind,  and  the  in- 
crease of  light;  but  they  really  divest  the  Gospel  of  its  most 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  98 

peculiar  and  lovely  features.  Those  exhortations,  which, 
instead  of  directing  the  sinner  to  Christ  that  he  may  glorify 
the  Father,  by  believing  in  the  Son,  through  the  assistance 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  direct  him  to  submit  to  God,  to  be 
saved  or  damned  according  to  his  sovereign  will,  by  with- 
drawing his  attention  from  Christ  as  the  only  Saviour,  do 
practically,  though  we  hope  unintentionally,  withhold  from 
both  the  Redeemer  and  Holy  Spirit  that  honour  which 
the  Scriptures  ascribe  to  them,  in  the  deliverance  of  our 
souls  from  spiritual  death. 

4.  Our  last  remark  under  this  head  is,  that  usually  a 
work  of  conviction  precedes  a  work  of  true  conversion. 
Sudden  or  instantaneous  conversions,  such  as  happened  on 
the  day^of  Pentecost,  sometimes  occur;  but  they  should  be 
considered  as  remarkable  occurrences;  and  special  care  is 
necessary,  to  be  satisfied  that  they  are  true  conversions. 
The  events  of  the  duy  of  Pentecost  were  for  the  special 
purpose  of  attesting  the  divine  commission  of  the  apos- 
tles, at  the  commencement  of  their  ministry;  and  though  the 
same  divine  influences  are  now  exerted  in  the  conversion 
of  sinners,  it  yet  appears  to  us  to  be  an  erroneous  procedure, 
to  hold  up  the  immediate  conversions  of  that  day,  as  a  model 
of  what  we  are  now  to  expect  to  be  of  frequent  occurrence. 
I  am  aware  that  I  am  touching  a  delicate  point,  and  that  I 
shall,  probably,  be  denounced  by  some,  as  an  enemy  to  re- 
vivals of  religion.  The  accusation  I  indignantly  repel  as  a 
slander.  A  real  revival  of  religion  is  the  greatest  blessing 
which  God  bestows  on  apostate  man.  But  the  danger  of 
self-deception  in  religion  is  great;  and  it  is  an  awful  thing 
to  be  accessary  to  leading  men  into  spiritual  delusion. 
Hence  we  find  the  most  skilful  practical  writers,  carefully 
distinguishing  between  mere  conviction  of  sin  and  real 
13 


94  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

conversion;  laynig  down  marks  from  the  Scriptures  by 
which  we  may  judge  whether  we  have,  indeed,  experienced 
a  change  of  heart;  guarding  against  a  too  hasty  conclusion 
in  our  own  favour,  and  exhorting  us  to  make  sure  work  for 
eternity.  Now,  frequently,  we  hear  of  sudden  and  almost 
instantaneous  conversions — and  these  conversions  are  spo- 
ken of  with  the  utmost  confidence,  as  though  it  were  crimi- 
nal to  doubt  their  reality,  and  the  number  of  converts  is 
isometimes,  we  fear,  ostentatiously  proclaimed  to  the  world. 
Caution  and  reverence  are  never  more  necessary  than  when 
we  speak  of  the  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God;  and  wo  to  the 
man  who  reviles  or  opposes  that  work!  But  there  are  some 
points  on  which  we  may  speak  without  fear.  The  present 
age  is  remarkable  for  a  fondness  for  innovation  and  novelty, 
and  for  contempt  for  what  belongs  to  other  times.  But 
the  old  precious  truths  of  the  Gospel,  which  were  preached 
by  apostles,  and  martyrs,  and  reformers,  are  those  only 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  will  make  effectual  for  the  conversion 
of  sinners.  It  is  the  old  Gospel  which  Paul,  and  Augus- 
tine, and  Luther,  and  Owen,  and  Whitefield,  and  Davies, 
and  Edwards,  and  Witherspoon  preached,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  always  has,  and  always  will  bless,  arid  we  dare  preach 
no  other  Gospel,  we  dare  embrace  no  mere  modern  refine- 
ments or  innovations,  lest,  haply,  the  apostolic  malediction 
should  fall  upon  us  "if  any  man  preach  any  other  Gospel 
unto  you  than  that  which  you  have  received,  let  him  be  ac- 
cursed." Magnifying  the  ability  of  the  sinner;  diminish- 
ing a  sense  of  our  indebtedness  to  the  grace  of  the  Re- 
deemer and  the  Holy  Spirit;  confidently  pronouncing  on 
the  reality  of  what  are  represented  as  immediate  conver- 
sions; undervaluing  the  attainments  and  graces  of  aged 
Christians,  and  determined  denunciation  of  those  who  do 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  95 

assent  to  these  things,  as  though  they  must  be  cold  hearted 
formalists,  and  enemies  to  revivals  of  religion — these,  we 
are  confident,  are  not  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  In- 
deed, there  is  reason  to  fear,  that  dark  days  in  relation 
to  real  religion  are  before  us.  While  we  bless  God  for  the 
revivals  with  which  different  parts  of  our  land  are  favoured, 
there  are  yet  many  things  to  awaken  serious  apprehensions, 
that  the  benefits  which  would  otherwise  be  derived  from 
them,  will  be  greatly  diminished.  A  fondness  for  new 
measures  in  action,  and  for  new  metaphysical  speculations 
in  theology,  as  though  that  which  is  old  must  therefore  be 
wrong, — the  assumption  of  arbitrary  principles  in  philoso- 
phy, and  bringing  these  principles  to  the  explanation  of 
Scripture,  instead  of  implicit  submission  to  its  plain  declara- 
tions— opposition  to  creeds  and  confessions,  and  denuncia- 
tions of  them,  as  though  they  were  hostile  to  freedom  of  in- 
quiry, and  the  various  attempts  which  are  made  to  force 
innovations  on  the  Church,  with  the  distractions  which 
these  attempts  cause — will,  we  greatly  fear,  produce  in  the 
minds  of  many  a  heartless  indifference  to  religion,  or  open 
infidelity.  The  advocates  of  error  have  always  laid  claim 
to  superior  sanctity,  zeal,  and  benevolence;  they  have  al- 
ways been  loud  in  proclaiming  their  own  superior  wisdom, 
and  piety,  and  success;  but  they  have  also  always  been  dis- 
tinguished for  undervaluing  the  importance  of  sound  doc- 
trine, for  a  bitter  and  crafty  disingenuousness,  which,  under 
the  pretence  of  liberality,  denounces,  as  bigottcd  and  narrow 
minded,  all  those  who  contend  for  the  importance  of  the 
truth  which  is  according  to  godliness,  and  who  oppose  with 
firmness  the  inroads  of  error;  and  if  ever  that  time  comes, 
when  mere  conviction  of  sin  shall  be  generally  mistaken 
for  a  thorough  conversion  to  God,  and  when  multitudes, 


196  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

under  a  transient  excitement,  shall  be  hurried,  in  an  uncon- 
verted state,  into  the  communion  of  the  Church,  and  when 
in  addition  to  these  things,  Gospel  truth  shall  be  under- 
valued, and  error  on  fundamental  points  shall  be  exten- 
sively preached,  then  will  the  glory  have  departed  from  our 
Church,  and  the  paralysing  chills  of  spiritual  death  pierce  its 
vitals. 

The  plainness  of  these  remarks,  will,  no  doubt,  be  cen- 
sured by  many,  who  are  for  treating  with  gentleness  the  in- 
roads of  error,  and  would  cast  the  mantle  of  charity  over 
the  defects  of  those  who  are  its  advovates.  To  such  we 
would  reply,  that  the  most  effectual  aid  which  they  can  lend 
to  the  cause  of  error,  is  to  palliate,  excuse,  or  defend  the 
conduct  of  its  advocates,  and  represent  them  as  holy,  de- 
voted, and  zealous  above  others,  while  they  censure  those 
who  oppose  their  errors  as  exhibiting  a  rash  and  mistaken 
zeal.  Truth  is  not  thus  to  be  sacrificed,  nor  is  its  cause  to 
be  thus  defended;  and  we  remember  who  has  condemned 
the  prophet  and  the  priest  of  ancient  Israel,  for  having 
'<  healed  the  hurt  of  the  daughter  of  his  people  slightly, 
saying  peace,  peace,  when  there  is  no  peace." 

We  remarked,  that  there  is  a  second  class  of  divines 
who,  while  they  assert  the  inability  of  the  sinner  to  change 
his  own  heart,  yet  maintain,  that  it  is  perilous  to  exhort 
him  to  any  thing  short  of  immediate  repentance  and  faith. 
One  of  the  most  distinguished  advocates  of  this  sentiment 
is  the  late  excellent  Andrew  Fuller,  who  contends  not  only 
that  a  sinner  is  unable  to  change  his  heart,  but  that  a 
conviction  of  our  being  utterly  lost  must  precede  an  appli- 
cation to  the  Saviour.  " So  long "  says  he,  "as  a  sinner 
can  find  any  hope,  or  any  help  in  himself,  he  will  never  fall 
at  the  feet  of  Christ  as  utterly  undone." 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  97 

To  this  class  of  divines  we  reply, 

1.  Their  objections  would  be  valid,  if  we  exhorted  sin- 
ners to  rest  in  the  mere  use  of  the  means;  for  it  is  at  our 
peril,  if  we  exhort  them  to  rest  any  where  but  in  Christ. 
This  however  is  not  the  question  before  us.  The  only 
point  of  inquiry  is,  whether  there  are  not  means,  in  the  dili- 
gent use  of  which,  a  sinner  may  hope  to  receive  those  in- 
fluences of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  are  necessary  to  enable 
him  to  rest  on  Christ  by  faith.  If  any  exhort  sinners,  as  it 
has  been  asserted  that  some  do,  to  lay  at  the  pool  of  ordi- 
nance waiting,  and  satisfied  with  their  waiting,  till  God 
shall  bestow  on  them  his  grace,  they  greatly  err.  Such, 
however,  was  not  the"  practice  of  sound  Calvinistic  divines 
of  former  days,  neither  is  it  the  practice  of  their  admirers 
in  the  present  day.  From  the  multitude  of  passages  which 
can  be  selected  with  ease,  from  the  writings  of  the  old  di- 
vines, we  take  but  one,  which  however  is  a  fair  exhibition 
of  their  sentiments  as  a  body.  The  quotation  is  from  Al- 
liene's  Alarm,  and  is  as  follows:  '<  Settle  it,"  says  he,  ad- 
dressing the  unconverted  sinner,  "Settle  it  upon  thy  heart, 
that  thou  art  under  everlasting  inability  ever  to  recover 
thyself.  Never  think  thy  praying,  reading,  hearing,  con- 
fessing, amending,  will  work  the  cure;  these  must  be  attended 
to,  but  thou  art  undone  if  thou  rcstest  in  them.  Jiom.  x.  3. 
Thou  art  a  lost  man,  if  thou  hopest  to  escape  drowning  on 
any  other  plank  but  Jesus  Christ,  t^cts  iv.  12.  Thou 
must  unlearn  thyself,  and  renounce  thy  own  wisdom,  thy 
own  righteousness,  thy  own  strength,  and  throw  thyself 
wholly  upon  Christ,  as  a  man  that  swims  casts  himself  upon 
the  water,  or  else  thou  canst  not  escape.  Wiiile  men  trust 
in  themselves,  and  establish  their  own  riglitcousness,  and 
have  confidence  in  the  flesh,  they  will  not  come  savingly  to 


98  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

Christ.  Luke  xviii.  9.  Phil.  iii.  3.  Thou  must  know 
thyself  to  be  but  loss  and  dung,  thy  strength  but  weakness^ 
thy  righteousness  rags  and  rottenness,  before  there  will  be 
an  effectual  closure  between  Christ  and  thee.  Phil.  iii.  7, 
8,  9.  2  Cor.  iii.  5.  Jsa.  Ixiv.  6.  Can  the  lifeless  carcase 
shake  off  its  graves  clothes,  and  loose  the  bands  of  death? 
Then  mayest  thou  recover  thyself,  who  art  dead  in  tres- 
passes and  sins.  Therefore,  when  thou  goest  to  pray,  or 
meditate,  or  do  any  of  the  duties  to  which  thou  art  here 
directed,  go  out  of  thyself,  and  call  in  the  help  of  the 
Spirit,  as  despairing  to  do  any  thing  pleasing  to  God  in 
thy  own  strength.  Yet  neglect  not  thy  duty,  but  be  at 
the  pool,  and  wait  in  the  way  of  the  Spirit.  While 
the  eunuch  was  reading,  then  the  Holy  Ghost  did  send 
Philip  to  him.  %^cts  viii.  28,  29.  When  the  disciples 
were  praying,  when  Cornelius  and  his  friends  were  hear- 
ing, then  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  them  and  filled  them 
all.  Strive  to  give  up  thyself  to  Christ;  strive  to  pray; 
strive  to  meditate;  strive  an  hundred  and  an  hundred  times; 
strive  to  do  as  well  as  thou  canst,  and  while  thou  art  en- 
deavouring in  the  way  of  thy  duty,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
will  come  upon  thee,  and  help  thee  to  do  what  of  thyself 
thou  art  utterly  unable  to  perform." 

2.  We  reply  again,  that  the  objection  would  be  valid  if 
sinners  were  exhorted  to  use  the  means  from  sinful  motives, 
or  in  a  sinful  way.  It  is  agreed  that  the  works  of  unre- 
generate  men  are  all  sinful — but  some  actions  are  vastly 
more  sinful  than  others.  It  is  absurd,  and  dangerous  to 
maintain  that  all  the  actions  of  the  unregenerate  are  equally 
sinful;  that  they  are  equally  guilty,  whether  they  pray  or 
whether  they  swear;  whether  they  speak  truth  or  utter 
falsehood;  since,  if  this  is  true,  there  can  be  no  reason  for 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  99 

choosing  a  virtuous,  rather  than  a  vicious  life,  and  they 
would  be  emboldened  to  commit  every  crime.  It  is  better 
that  they  should  attend  on,  than  that  they  should  neglect 
the  means;  and  they  should  be  warned  of  the  sinfulness  of 
formality  and  lukewarmness  in  religion;  that  thereby  a 
conviction  of  the  deceitfulncss  and  wickedness  of  their 
hearts  may  be  fastened  on  their  consciences. 

There  is,  moreover,  a  great  difference  in  the  religious 
performances  of  unregenerate  men.  Some  aim  only  to  pro- 
mote their  reputation,  or  interest,  or  wealth,  and  thus  make 
these  performances  subservient  to  their  worldly  interest. 
Of  such,  it  is  said,  that  ''the  sacrifice  of  the  wicked  is  an 
abomination."  Others  are  sincere  in  their  desires  and  ef- 
forts to  be  saved,  and  though  these  desires  and  efforts  arise 
not  from  faith  and  love,  but  from  the  fear  of  deserved  wrath, 
yet  they  are  more  acceptable  to  God,  than  the  heartless  per- 
formances of  the  former.  These  desires  and  efforts  which 
arise  from  conviction  of  sin,  and  fear  of  perishing,  are  often 
preparatory  to  saving  repentance  and  faith;  and  hence  it 
has  been  said,  that  "religion  begins  in  fear,  is  carried  on  by 
hope,  and  ends  in  love. "  How  far  the  cry  of  nature,  apart 
from  grace,  avails  for  the  procuring  of  blessings,  we  pretend 
not  to  decide.  God  hears  the  young  ravens  when  they  cry; 
because  Ahab  humbled  himself  before  the  Lord,  the  evil 
which  had  been  threatened  to  him  and  his  posterity,  was 
averted  during  his  days;  and  Nineveh  was  spared  from  des- 
truction, because  its  king  and  people  fasted,  and  prayed, 
and  forsook  their  evil  ways;  and  how  far  the  cries  for 
mercy  of  an  awakened  sinner  avail  with  God,  we  shall  not 
pretend  to  determine.  Besides,  no  one  can  tell  when  the 
renewing  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are  first  communi- 


100  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

cated,  or  what  actions  of  an  awakened  sinner  proceed 
from  nature,  or  from  grace. 

3.  We  observe  still  further,  that,  when  men  seriously  at- 
tempt to  use  the  means  of  grace,  that  they  become  acquaint- 
ed with  their  real  character  and  condition ;  with  their  de- 
pravity and  helplessness;  and  thus  their  self-confidence  is 
destroyed.  The  chief  reason  that  is  offered  against  exhort- 
ing the  unregenerate  to  use  the  means  of  grace  is,  lest  they 
should  rest  in  them;  and  that  by  urging  them  to  immediate 
repentance  and  faith,  they  will  he  kept  from  trusting  in  any 
thing  which  they  can  perform.  But  to  address  a  sinner, 
who  is  distressed  with  the  perplexity  and  anguish  of  an 
awakened  conscience,  in  the  language  only  of  denunciation, 
and  tell  him  he  must  instantly  believe  or  perish,  and  that  you 
have  nothing  further  to  say  to  him,  appears  to  us  to  be  a 
treatment,  as  unskilful  as  it  is  unkind.  We  are  told  of  the 
blessed  Redeemer,  that  "the  bruised  reed  he  did  not  break, 
and  the  smoking  flax  he  did  not  quench,"  and  that  "he  spake 
a  parable  to  this  end,  that  men  ought  always  to  pray  and  not 
to  faint."  The  preacher  of  the  Gospel  is  commissioned  to 
proclaim  a  message  of  mercy,  and  should  sympathize  with 
those  who  are  alarmed  at  their  guilt  and  danger,  in  all  their 
doubts,  and  discouragements,  and  temptations,  and  should 
cheerfully  afford  them  the  instruction  and  encouragement 
which  they  need. 

Besides,  as  it  has  been  already  observed,  it  is  only  when 
sinners  are  awakened  to  a  sense  of  their  danger  of  perishing, 
and  make  an  effort  to  save  themselves,  that  they  feel  their 
utter  inability  to  repent,  or  believe,  or  do  any  thing  which 
is  spiritually  good.  Then  first,  when  they  attempt  to  put 
forth  strength,  do  they  learn  their  weakness.  When  first 
they  seriously  attempt,  in  sincerity,  to  use  the  means;  to 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  101 

hear  the  preached  word  tliat  they  may  learn  and  live;  to 
read,  and  meditate,  and  pray,  it  is  then  that  they  become 
sensible  of  the  impenitence  and  depravity  of  their  hearts,  of 
the  blindness  of  their  minds,  and  of  their  alienation  from 
all  good.  They  are  often  filled  with  surprise  and  dismay, 
when  they  contemplate  the  sin  that  attaches  to  all  their  re- 
ligious performances;  the  coldness  and  formality  of  their 
prayers;  their  weakness,  and  failure  in  the  fulfdment  of 
their  resolutions,  their  many  omissions  of  duty,  and  their 
backwardness  to  hold  communion  with  God.  It  is  after  sad 
experience  has  taught  them  their  weakness,  and  they  are 
compelled  to  cry  ''help,  Lord!  we  perish  without  thine  aid," 
that  grace  is  bestowed,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  enables  them  to 
believe  in  Christ,  that  they  may  be  saved.  Thus,  while 
they  are  striving  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate  by  the  use 
of  means,  God  meets  them  in  mercy,  and  places  them  in  the 
way  to  life. 

IV.  A  few  remarks  designed  for  the  practical  improve- 
ment of  our  subject,  shall  close  our  discourse. 

1.  Let  those  who  are  anxious  for  the  salvation  of  their 
souls,  be  encouraged  fervently  and  perscvcringly  to  seek 
the  mercy  of  the  Lord.  ''The  kingdom  of  heaven  suffereth 
violence,  and  the  violent  take  it  by  force."  Let  no  obsta- 
cles discourage,  no  djlTiculties  aflright,  or  weary  you.  "What 
shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose 
his  own  .soul?"  The  present  is  the  season  of  conflict,  hea- 
ven is  the  abode  of  perfect  bliss.  "Strive  to  enter  in  at  the 
strait  gate."  Prize  the  Sabbath,  and  the  ordinances  of  the 
House  of  God,  and  take  his  Word  for  your  counsellor  and 
guide.  "  Search  the  Scriptures. "  Read  them  frequently, 
devoutly,  and  with  deep  meditation.  By  daily  and  impor- 
14 


102  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

tunate  prayer,  ask  that  your  sins  may  be  forgiven,  and  your 
hearts  be  renewed.  Repair  to  the  merciful  Redeemer,  and 
commit  your  souls  to  him;  live  in  dependence  on  his  grace, 
and  he  will  keep  you  from  falling,  and  present  you  faultless 
before  the  presence  of  his  glory  with  exceeding  joy. 

2.  While  we  exhort  impenitent  sinners  to  use  the  means, 
we  also  solemnly  remind  them,  that  repentance  and  faith  are 
their  immediate  duty;  that  impenitence  and  unbelief  are  hate- 
ful to  God,  and  will  ruin  their  souls.  Unbelief  in  Christ  is, 
emphatically,  the  great  soul  destroying  sin.  It  will  be  of 
no  avail  to  plead  in  excuse  your  inability  to  repent  and 
believe,  for  that  inability  arises  from,  and  is  a  proof  of  the 
corruption  of  your  natures.  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity 
against  God;  and  are  you  content  to  live  at  enmity  with 
God,  and  under  his  displeasure.  Will  you  say,  "  Lord, 
such  is  my  aversion  to  thee,  that  I  cannot  mourn  over 
my  offences  against  thee — such  is  my  delight  in  sin, 
"that  I  prefer  it,  even  before  thy  approbation?"  "As  ambas- 
sadors for  Christ,  as  though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us,  we 
pray  you  in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to  God."  Is 
the  enmity  of  your  hearts  against  the  divine  government 
and  laws  so  strong  that  you  cannot  subdue  it;  do  you  find 
that  no  efforts,  no  promises,  no  resolutions,  no  vows  can 
avail  to  deliver  you  from  the  debasing  influence,  that  sin 
sheds  over  your  souls? — go,  then,  to  the  mercy  seat,  and  con- 
fess before  God  your  depravity  and  weakness,  and  ask  that 
he  would  give  his  Spirit  to  renew  your  souls.  Suffer  me, 
however,  to  remind  you  that  you  are  now  in  an  awful  state 
of  sin  and  spiritual  death;  that  you  are  neglecting  your 
most  important  concerns,  and  becoming  more  hardened  in 
irreligion  under  the  very  means  which  are  designed  to  pro- 
mote your  salvation.    Remember  the  many  privileges  which 


THE  USE  OF  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE.  iQS 

you  have  abused;  the  many  sabbaths  which  you  have  pro- 
faned; the  many  prayerless  days  which  you  have  spent; 
the  many  admonitions  which  you  have  slighted;  how  much 
your  Bible  has  been  neglected,  and  how  often  the  voice  of 
conscience  has  been  stifled,  instruction  despised,  and  re- 
proof hated.  Think  you  that  it  will  be  a  light  thing  to 
stand  convicted  of  all  these  sins,  before  the  throne  of  your 
awful  and  incensed  Judge.  You  may  now  jest  with  these 
things,  and  in  scenes  of  riot  and  mirth  with  your  sinful 
companions,  you  may  scoff  at  the  sacred  institutions  of  reli- 
gion, but  you  will  stand  confounded  in  the  presence  of  Al- 
mighty God.  When  the  heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a 
great  noise,  and  the  earth  be  burnt  up,  and  the  elements 
melt  with  fervent  heat,  and  assembled  worlds  stand  before 
Christ  to  be  judged  by  him,  jesting  and  scoffs  will  cease. 
Can  your  heart  endure,  or  your  hands  be  strong  before  the 
consuming  fire  of  the  Almighty's  wrath?  Be  entreated 
then  to  become  wise  in  time.  As  yet  you  have  lived  in 
vain.  Immersed  in  worldly  pursuits,  you  have  forgotten 
the  heavenly  inheritance,  and  have  been  posting  with  rapid 
strides  to  ruin.  But  there  is  yet  hope  concerning  you. 
To  you  the  voice  of  mercy  calls,  inviting  you  to  return  to 
your  God  that  you  may  live.  "  Seek  ye  the  Lord  while 
he  may  be  found;  call  upon  him  while  he  is  near;  let  the 
wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his 
thoughts,  and  let  him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will 
have  mercy  upon  him,  and  to  our  God  for  he  will  abun- 
dantly pardon." 

3.  Finally.  In  the  use  of  the  means  of  grace  we  should 
endeavour  to  hold  communion  with  God,  and  to  make  ad- 
vances in  knowledge  and  holiness.  Through  these  means 
we  hold  intercourse  with  God,  we  express  our  reverence 


104  SPRUCE  STREET  LECTURES. 

and  love,  and  implore  his  grace;  and  through  them  he  be- 
stows on  us  heavenly  blessings.  Let  us  guard  against  rest- 
ing in  the  mere  lifeless  formal  use  of  them,  or  imagining 
that  by  such  a  use  we  have  fulfilled  our  duty.  In  all  our 
attempts  to  worship,  we  should  remember  the  declaration  of 
the  Redeemer,  "  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they  who  worship  him 
must  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth."  Whenever  we 
have  attended  on  the  means,  we  should  press  on  our  con- 
sciences the  inquiry,  "what  spiritual  benefits  have  I  re- 
ceived? what  good  resolutions  have  I  formed?  what  ad- 
vances have  I  made  in  wisdom  and  purity?"  Thus  shall 
we  become  more  meet  to  be  partakers  of  the  inheritance 
of  the  saints  in  light;  and  when  death  shall  remove  us  from 
this  region  of  shadows,  of  conflict,  and  of  sin,  we  shall  be 
admitted  into  the  immediate  presence  of  God,  and  unite 
with  the  whole  company  of  the  redeemed  in  the  exalted 
worship  of  heaven. 


m- 


^/^ 


